All Blog Posts (274)

Consumers using SNAP EBT Cards can now use them for Certified Farmers’ Market food purchases.

The Palm Springs Cultural Center’s Certified Farmers’ Markets are now accepting SNAP EBT Cards at all three of its Coachella Valley Locations. “We’ve been hoping to make this a reality for some time,” said Paul Palodichuk, Market Manager. “The SNAP Program provides crucial support to…Continue

Certified Farmers Market Fresh Pick of the week: Early Season Tomatoes!You say To-MAY-to and I say To-MAH-to. Either way, we’re all in for a treat this week at the Certified Farmers’ Market. A variety of fresh, farm-ripened early season tomatoes are available, and they’ve got a taste that’s sure to beat any store-bought variety you can find!

This week’s Fresh Pick of the Week at the Certified Farmers’ Market is not so much a pick as a pullet. Farm-raised free-range pullets and cockerels (female and male chickens under a year in age, respectively) are the latest addition to the market. Farm-raised free-range Chickens are becoming more popular, both for their meat and for their eggs, because research shows that free-range (or “pastured”) animals are typically healthier and…Continue

Spinach is this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week at the Certified Farmers’ Market, and several varieties of fresh locally-grown Spinach are available at all three Certified Farmers’ Market locations.

Spinach has an extremely high nutritional value, and is rich in antioxidants, especially when fresh or steamed. Spinach is also a great source of a plethora of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin…Continue

Celebration slated for Wednesday, February 10, 2010; Ribbon-Cutting at 10am.

The Palm Springs Cultural Center today announced that it will celebrate the first anniversary of the opening of its popular Palm Desert location with a give-aways, a birthday cake, and a special ribbon-cutting ceremony this coming Wednesday, February 10, 2010. The Palm…

Mandarin Oranges are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week at the Certified Farmers’ Market. Mandarin Oranges, as their name implies, originated in Southeast Asia, and were likely at least one of the early ancestors of all modern oranges (along with Pomelos).

Today, Mandarin Oranges are distributed commercially in several varieties, including Mikan…Continue

Beets are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week at the Certified Farmers’ Market, and are available from several farmers at all three valley locations. Beets are an amazing food crop, but most of us only think of them as the red root vegetable that is generally served cooked, stir-fried or pickled. What many people do not know is that the green leafy part of the Beet plant is also edible, and was quite popular (more so that its roots) until its leafier cousins –… Continue

The First Fresh Pick of the New Decade has been a human food source for at least 10,000 years. Ancient humans living in what is now Spain (during the Mesolithic Period) are depicted hunting for it in cave paintings. So it should come as no surprise that by the time humans began recording their history with writing (around 2100 B.C.), our Fresh Pick was already old news!

What is it? Honey! The Labor of Love (and food source) for Honeybees, and the Nectar of the…Continue

At the Certified Farmers’ Market, the eggs come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, and they’re all Farm Fresh, Hormone-free, and naturally delicious – whether they come from chickens, ducks or even quail! Eggs that come from poultry that is allowed to range free are nutritious, better tasting, and better for you. Free range eggs contain about half as much cholesterol as factory-raised eggs. They are also twice as rich in Vitamin E, up to six times richer in beta carotene… Continue

Fresh Cut Flowers are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week from the Certified Farmers’ Market. Each week, Juan Arriaga, of Arriaga Farms, brings in a fresh batch of California-grown cut flowers – direct from the farm to the markets. Choose from sunflowers, lilies, mixed bouquets, and more – all fresh cut and ready for holiday tables.

California's unique climate means that flower growers like Arriaga Farms can produce some of the finest cut… Continue

Certified Farmers Market Fresh Pick of the week: California-Grown Macadamia Nuts!
Macadamia Nuts are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week, and although most Americans think of our fiftieth state, Hawaii, when they think of Macadamia Nuts, ours are grown locally by the folks at MnM’s Nuthouse in nearby Fallbrook, California. MnM’s Nuthouse is a family-owned and operated farm, started by Tom Cooper back in the 1970s, and now run by his son Mark, and… Continue

The use of maps has always been a feature of importance for the ag sector. In the past, watching from above was vital for the feudal lords to have an overview of their lands and for this reason they built their homes atop the hills. This was probably also significant before that.

In the last few years, GPS software expanded the opportunities to plan and manage production systems by using satellite images and geo-positioning tools for… Continue

Swiss Chard is one of the most versatile, yet overlooked of the many varieties of edible greens available today. Fresh young Swiss Chard is a great addition to salads, and mature chard (leaves and stems) can be cooked, stir-fried or sauteed. Although slightly bitter when eaten in salads, Swiss Chard’s bitterness fades with cooking, leaving a delicious flavor which is akin to beet greens (to which Chard is related), and more delicate than cooked spinach (another… Continue

If you’re ready to start your Winter Garden (something we are lucky enough to be able to do here in Southern California), drop by the Certified Farmers’ Markets this week and pick up some local farm-grown plant starts! Choose from a variety of vegetable starts, including tomatoes, herbs, peppers and more! There are also plenty of succulent and/or cacti plant starts for those prefer to stick… Continue

Potatoes are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week, and there are at least six different varieties of potatoes available at the Certified Farmers’ Markets this week. Choose from white rose, pink rose, red, Yukon gold, Russet, blue, and fingerlings in a variety of colors! And although the colors vary greatly, all potatoes have a very similar flavor. They are not, however, all the same, when it comes to cooking. Russets, for example, are high in starch, so they are better… Continue

Persimmons, the edible fruit of the Persimmon Tree, are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week. Persimmons are quite delicious, but before you bite into one, make sure you know which kind of persimmon it is, and whether or not it’s ripe. Otherwise you may find yourself spitting it out and looking for a quick splash of water to wash your mouth out.

Persimmon Basics: There are two types of persimmons that are commercially available– astringent and… Continue

Winter Squash tops this week’s list for Fresh Pick of the Week. Several varieties – many organic – are available from multiple farms, and at all three Certified Farmers’ Market locations. Winter Squash differs from summer squash in that it is harvested and eaten in the mature fruit stage, when the seeds within have matured fully and the skin has hardened to a tough rind. Winter Squash is generally cooked before eating. It is not grown or harvested in… Continue

This could be a first in the concert world, though I am not sure. I do know of the amazing strength and support of the Farm Aid Live tour supporting American farms…however, PHISH, the rock mixing/genre… Continue

California’s Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) is responsible for telling the world about the great milk being produced by California’s Happy Cows. But milk isn’t the only thing all those happy cows are producing, and the happy cows aren’t the only ones producing milk. California’s goats are also getting into the act, and California farmers are using milk from both cows and goats to produce some world-class cheeses – and we’ve got several great examples of Locally-made…Continue